(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device.
(2) Related Art Statement
In recent years, use of light emitting plasma display panels and non-light emitting liquid crystal display devices instead of CRT's (cathode ray tubes) as displays has been increasing.
From among these, liquid crystal display devices use a liquid crystal panel as a transmission type light modulation element, and the rear surface is provided with an illuminating device (hereinafter referred to as backlight device), and the liquid crystal panel is illuminated with light. In addition, the liquid crystal panel forms an image by controlling the transmittance of light emitted from the backlight device.
One feature of liquid crystal display devices is that they can be made thin in comparison with CRT's, and in recent years, thinner liquid crystal display devices have been in demand. Therefore, it is required for backlight devices that form liquid crystal display devices to be thinner. As for technology relating to such backlight apparatuses for liquid crystal display devices, Patent Document 1 discloses a backlight device using an EEFL (external electrode fluorescent lamp), for example, and Patent Document 2 discloses a backlight device using a CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamp), for example.    (Patent Document 1) Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2007-184232 (see paragraph 0052)    (Patent Document 2) Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2006-032358 (see paragraph 0016)